Apparatus and method of transferring coke and coax



H. ADAMS APPARATUS YAND METHOD OF TRANSFERRING COKE AND COAL OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 26, 1927 lNvEN-roR fnr Didam@ l ATTORNEY all? Patented Dec. 9, `1930 uNirEo l 'sfr"a'lila-SI PTENT OFFICE narrar-ansias, or runtrrmn; NEW JERSEY Brangus AND METHOD or TRANSFERRING con: AND con. on T HE LIKE i control of the operator and at lno time al.

lowed totravel at an excessive velocity, nor

is it allowed to fall-any distance, thereby reducing the breakage and degradation to a minimum. i

Another object of this invention is to provide means and methods of this kind that can be adapted and used with the` present al.

ready built railroad transfer yfor transferring from cars to boats or barges, and which can be installed in these presentplants at a nominal cost, utilizing the present' plants, which are very costly to build. y i This invention particularly relates to the transferring of coal or coke and the like from railroad cars when the car is tilted over and a large body of coal or coke is transferred very rapidly into boats orbarges; and in orclear, mention is here Inade'vof the loader at present wellknown 'and used in making this transfer, operation of which is described as follows YVA railroad trest'le' is built at or near the dock where the boat or barge is to be loaded. This trestle is so constructed that the loaded coal c ar can betipped over so contents run into a large inclined triangular chute which is attached to the railroad trestle. This chute which is wide at the upper end and laterally tapered to the lower end, is filled and carries away the coal from the car into a collapsible telescopic lowering chute whichv is lowered down in the bottom of the barge.

This telescopic chute can be raised or lowered or swung from side to 4side at the will ofl the operator.

The main object of the present'invention' is to do away with the excessive leakage and der to help make the invention particularly /tic f Application meti October 36, 1 927. Serial No. 228,841.l Y

degradatio'inherent inthe operation of theabove mentioned well known lo'ader now in use, the operation of said known loader being as follows:

The entire car is tilted and turned over, and as the caris' tilted to above the chute the top coal will rush out of the car and strike the large triangular chute which is placed at an -angle of from 30 to 50 degrees at a very high velocity causing `very excessive degradation. The coal then travels at a very high rate of speed down toward the narrow lower end portion of the chute, ythe depth of the coal increasing atthe bottom.

It will be notedA that intermediatelyv the depth of the coal is not great but as the coal' travels down toward the narrowportion of the chute, the thickness or the depth, of the coal increases at the lower end, which is the narrowest portion ofthe chute. The lower end portion of the chuteV is coveredby plates, and here there is a solid bank of coal illed to the top and only held in the Ichute by means of the plates. The upper middle portion of the'chute becomes practically empty as soon ascar is empty, whereas the lower portion of the chute is full. Asthis coal travels from the car down to the end of the chute it gains great velocity and strikes against. the interiorly open vertical telescopic chute at the .lower end of the triangular chute where itis subjected to greater breakage owing to the great velocity of the coal as-it strikes the veruch so that when a car is unloaded a cloud of dust comes from this particular spot. The coal on reaching this spot, now falls perpendicularly down the telescopic chute tothe bottom of the barge, this fall being from 20 to 30 feet. AThe telescopic chute restson the bottom of the barge, and here excessive breakage is again encountered until the entire chute is filled..

It will thus be notedthat there are great degradation and breakage in this part of the old operation, and my new apparatus and` method are designed to overcome these. From this time on there is not very much breakage in the old operation of the coal of the car that has been thus emptied, but as the railroad cars hold only 5 0 tons of coal, the

operator having the telescopic chute filled with coal, as soon as the triangular chute is empty` does not allow any more coal to iow out of chute and another railroad car is dumped into the triangular chute where the coal will have the same breakage going into the chute and down to the bottom of the triangular chute as it would in the first car, but the coal from the second car will not be sub# jected to any breakage by falling from the top to thv'bottom of the telescopic chute, as this latter chute is already full, but as the boats or barges are divided by partitions it is necessary as soon as one partition is filled to move the boat or barge, and when this is done the telescoping chute must be lifted free and clear of the barge, and when this is done the telescoping chute must be entirely emptied of coal, and when the car is dumped into the new compartment the first 10 or 15 tons will receive an addition to the excessive breakage caused in the triangular main chute, the additional excessive breakage from the fall of coal'from the top of the telescoping chutey down to the bottom of the barge until telescoping chute is filled. f

This explanation is made so that it is clearly understood how much degradation there is when coal is handled as at the present time, in the most modern plants of railroad transfers, which are very expensive to erect. The above clearly shows the excessive breakage of the coal and as there can be no gate at the bottom of the telescoping` chute. at no time has the operator any control of the outlet at the bottom of the chute. unless he keeps the chute directly on top of the coal; and when the boat or barge is moved, there is no possible means of retaining the column of coal in the telescoping chute, so whenever the boat or barge is moved. excessive breakage i's caused by coal falling from the top to the bottom of the telescoping chute.

By mv improved method and apparatus` the breakage has been reduced as much as 25 percent; and other objects are to reduce the expense and time of unloading, the time being reduced to a few seconds for each car.

Other objects ot the invention are` to improve generally the simplicity and efficiency of such methods and apparatus and to provide an apparatus of this kind which is rapid.

economical` durable and reliable in operation. and economical to construct.

Still other objects of the invention will aw pear as the description proceeds: and while herein details of the invention are described and claimed. the, invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of `the invention as claimed in the broader elanns.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of vthese and other objects are shown herein 1n connection with an improved material transferring apparatus which, briefly, stated, includes means to tip the car over on one edge thereby to empty the car into a downward and forwardly inclined andpointed chute having its upper edge disposed along said edge of the c'arL said chute having converging side walls and a lower discharge end similar to the old apparatus above mentioned.

A cover disposed over the chute carries at its upper edge a baflie plate extending to near the upper edge ofthe tipped up car, for admitting material to the chute at the lower edge ofthe car only. Y

A retarding apparatus in said chute includes aplurality of converging partitions substantially perpendicularto the floor of the chute and substantially radial to said lower end, and transverse retarding baflles passed through said partitions a short distance above, and converging toward, the floor.

A vertically adjustable vertical chute pivotally mounted on said discharge end and communicating with said discharge end and having a lower dischargeV gate, is somewhat similar to that described in my co-pending application No. 162,134 filed Jan. 19, 1927.

As the material is lowered from the tippedover car the upper baille plate confines the flow of material'to a limited space near the lower edge of the car and retards it as it leaves the car. Then thepartitions divide and lower the material in a plurality of adjacent streams and laterall frictionally engage the streams for retar g the material also laterally compressing and converging and thereby additionally retarding the material of the streams as it is lowered, where it is baffled and retarded by the transverse bafiles before it is delivered to the vertical chute.

In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the apparatus transferring material to a barge; and

Fig. 2 is a plan of the apparatus, part being in section.

My improved apparatus is shown in combination with a tressle 5 carrying a railroad track 6 thereon on which is carried a coal car T with which is associated a car tipple means 8 pivoted. as at the axis 9, at the upper edge of one lside of the car and engaging under-'the ca r and adapted to tip the car over said axis for emptying the coal or other material therefrom. as shown by the dotted line of Fig. 1, into a downwardly and forwardly 'leo inclined and pointed triangular chute 10 known apparatus already in use.

A retarding apparatus disposed in said inclined chute comprises afalse bottom 17 lying on the floor of the inclined chute and carries side walls 18 disposed against the side walls of the chute 11, said apparatus extending from side to side and substantially from-the top edge of lsaid floor to near said cover plate 12.

' A plurality of converging contracting partitions 20 secured on said false bottom all point substantially radially toward the lower end of the chute and extend from the top edge to the bottom edge of the false bottom 17.

,Convergingplates 21between said partitions 20 extend from the bottom edge of the false bottom to about halfway up the false An upper cover plate 25 disposed over thel retarding apparatus and resting on the side walls of the chute and extending from the lower plate-12 to the upper edge of the chute, carries a baille plate V26 ixedly mounted on the -upper edge of the coverV plate 25 and extending substantially even with the upper edge 27 of the car when in tipped position 'to retard and guide into the chute the material as the car is tipped.

A support 30 fixedly secured to the lower end of said chute is provided with an extension housing 31 at the forward end, and adjacent to the inclined 'chute with side members 32 forming a large opening 33 in which is disposed an axially vertical guide box 34 hinged at 34 (Fig. 1) to the lower face of the inclined chute and provided with a rear opening 34 communicating with said discharge end of the chute. Said box 34 slidably receives a vertically adjustable floating chute having lower discharge gates 36 and a downwardly and outwardly inclined iloor 37 extending to said gate. Said chute has opposite side walls 40 and an outer wall 41, leaving an open side 42 communicating with said inclined chute.

Pulleys 43, 43 placed on said support to the front and rear of the chute receive flexible .means such as cables 44, 44 each having one end connected to the lower end of the chute 35 and the box 34 respectively the upper end Aportions being separately connected to a hoisting motor 45 carried in said extension housing 31 whereby said chute may, by means of the cable 44, be easily lowered into or gradually raised from a suitable receptacle 46 such as a boat, truck; bin car or the like to be loa-ded or left in any position of vertical adjustment` or b'e swung from side to side by means ofthe cable 44, the weight of the chute tending to swing it against the action of the cable 44. 4

The curved slide gates 36 disposed across said lower opening of the vertical chute have side arms 47 co-axial with the curve of the gate and pivoted to the side walls of the vertical chute, whereby the gates may be easily operated.

Said open side 42 of thc vertical fchute is provided with a vertical series of downwardly and inwardly inclined retaining plates 50 secured fast between said side walls 40 perpendicular thereto and extending substantially from top to bottom of the chute, spaced from said outer wall 4l to form a vertical passage 51 at said outerwall. The retaining plates 50 extend to said open side, whereby the retaining plate nearest the lower edge of the inclined chute ,may receive material therefrom and direct it into the vertical passage 51, thereby to ll the passage up to the inclined chute and then to pile up the material in the inclined chuteI to prevent the low of coal except as controlled by the gates 36'and the material piling beneath the vertical chute 35, as

loo

the latter, initially at the bottom ofthe barge,

is gradually raised.

The lower inner edge ot each plate 50 is below the level of the top edge of the next lower plate, a distance depending upon the particular material, to prevent the material from flowing to the open side thereby providing a void at said side.

The chute 35 may be raised with the gates 36 closed,- and the chute gradually filled and lowered the gate-s being opened after the chute is lowered to the bottom .of the receptacle, whereupon the material is deposited upon the floor of thefbarge the chute being gradually raised only as the barge fills and the body of material inthe. chute rests on (he material in the barge.

The part 55 of the box 34 below the opening 34" forms a deflecting bafile secured to the under face of said discharge edge and downwardly extending more than the vertical distance between the retaining plates with its lower edge clearing the retaining-plates as the chute is raised. This baille 55 serves to deflect into the chute any material which may fall from the uppermost active retaining plate as the chute is raised. `The chute 35 is similar to that shown and claimed in :my copending application Serial No. 162,134, filed Jan. 19, 1927.

It will be seen that'iny new apparatus is similar to the old plants already in use with the addition of the partitions and plates 20, 21 and the ballles 2Q, 23 and 26; and instead of having a telescopic chute I use the floating chute. shown in my said application. This floating chute has the gates 36 and can be moved from one side to the other by the operator by means of the flexible means 44. The operator also can raise or lower this` chute at will, which is shown in a raised position by the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The operator raises the chute as the barge fills up. The operator also, by means of the gates 3G can always maintain a column of' coal in the chute regardless of its position.

The operation is as follows:

The car 7 of coal or the like is tipped over,

yand the baiile plate 26 keeps the coal from falling down into the chute 10 and causes the coal to pass underneath this baille in an even flow. In this chute l0, the partitlons and bailles 22will cause the coal 'from the car to be divided into four separate streams, all of these streams coming together at the lower end of chute 10, tending to retard the velocity. About one-halfway down the partitions 20, the extra converging plates 2l again separate the central portion of the coal, which tends to travel more or less in a straight line,

into more divisions, thus further retarding this middle portion of the coal. This is neces- 3' sary as the middle portion would travel faster than the outside portion if this were not done.

The line of travel of the coal down main chute is shown in Fig. 1, andA it will be noted that the depth of coal is greatest at the lower edge of the baffle plate 2li and gradually diminishes or remains about the same depth in the. lower part ot the inclined chute. In other words the lnain portion of the work of the chute is accomplished in the upper and middle. part, whereas in thev old plants. the main work is done at the discharge end. In the' present invention, the travel of the coal is not of excessive velocity and the breakage, when the coal reaches the upright chute 35 is greatly reduced. As the chute 35, often can always be kept filled with coal by means ofthe gates 36 after it is once filled, there will not be any breakage caused by the coal falling from chute 10 to the bottom of the barge. It has been found that the travel of the .coal from the car to the chute 35 takes longer in the present invention than it does in the old plants, but this does not interfere materially or slow down the operation, for before a new car can be brought back to the railroad trestle and dumped to main chute l()` the main chute will be practically cleared of the coal of the first car. A

It is obvious that the breakage is greatly reduced in three separate and distinct places.

In the old method, the location of excessive breakage is right at the car being emptied and at the top and bottom of the telescopi-ng'chute. `In the present invention the breakage at the baille plate 26 has 'been practically eliminated the breakage'at the juncture with the vertical` chute has been very materially reduced, and there will be no'breakage in the vertical chute after the vertical chute has been once illed.

It is obvious that the new retarding apparatus can be cheaply and easily placed in the main chute of railroad coal transfers now in use (which were very costly to build), and by means of this invention change them into transfer points, whereby coal can be unloaded from the cars into the barges, maintaining at all times a solid column of coal from car to barge and handling it in such a manner that the present excessive breakage, which runs into millions of dollars per year, will be greatly reduced.

' I claim as my invention.

1. A method comprising dividing material to be lowered into separate inclined streams; and gradually lowering and laterally compressing the streams to retard the ilow,vwhilemaintaining the major part of the upper face of the stream substantially unengaged.

2. A method comprising dividing material to be lowered into separate inclined streams; and gradually lowering and laterally frictionally engaging thes'treams to retard the low, while maintaining the maj or part of the upper face of the stream substantially unengaged.

y 3. to be lowered into separate inclined streams; and gradually lowering, laterally compressing and frictionally engaging the streams to retard the flow, while maintaining the major part of the upper face of the stream substantially unengaged.

4. A method of lowering material. said method comprising dividing and gradually lowering the material in a plurality of adjacent inclined streams; bailling and laterally :trictionally engaging the streams for retarding the streams; and laterally compressing and converging the material of the streams as it is lowered, while maintaining the major V part of the upper face of the stream substantially unengaged.

5. In combination, a wideI downwardly inclined chute having an open upper edge, an inclined floor in a single plane, side walls, and a lower discharge end; and spaced partitions in said chute pointing toward said end. 6. ln combination, a downwardly and forwardly inclined and pointed chute nh aving an open upper edge, an inclined floor in a single plane, converging side walls and a lower discharge end; and a retarding apparatus in said chute including a plurality of partitions converging toward said lower end A method comprising dividing material the inclination of the floor bein steeper than and approximating the angle o repose ofthe material thereon.

7. In combination, a wide downwardly inclined chute having an open upper edge, side walls, and a lower discharge end; a retard- .ing apparatus in said chute comprising a plu- 'ward said lower end and extending from near the top to near the bottom of the floor; and converging plates about half way between said partitions extending about halfway up the partitions.4

9. In combination, a wide downwardly inclined chute having an open upper edge, side walls, and a lower discharge end; and transverse retarding baffles in said chute and fixedly spaced a short .distance above, and converging toward the floor.

' A10. In combination, a wide downwardly pointed and inclined chute having an open upper edge, converging side walls, and a lower discharge end; and transverse retarding bafiles in said chute ixedly spaced a short distance above, and converging toward, said floor. 11. In combination, a wide downwardly inclined chute having an open upper edge, side walls, and a lower discharge end; a retarding apparatus in said chute comprising a plurality of spaced partitions secured substantially perpendicular to the Hoor, all pointing toward said lower end and extending from near the top to near the bottom of the floor; division transverse retarding baffles passed through said partitions. v

12. In combination, a wide downwardly inclined downwardly pointed chute having an open upper edge, converging side walls, and a lower discharge end; a retarding apparatus in .said chute comprising a plurality of spaced partitions secured substantially perpendicular to the floor, all pointing toward said lower end and .extendino' from near the top to near the bottom ofthe oor; and transverse retarding bailes lpassed through said partitions.

, 13. In combination, an inclined downwardly pointed chute having its u pper edge disposable along the edge of a tipped-over car,\ said chute having side walls and a lower drscharge end; a retarding apparatus in s aid chute including a plurality of converglng and a lower discharge end; and a partitions; converging plates about midway etween said partitions extending from near the lower end of the partitions to about. halfway up thepartitions;V and transverse re. .tarding baies passed through said artitions just above the converging plates an through' the converging plates and partitions, and extending all the way across the retarding apparatu's, and spaced av short distance from `said Hoor of the chute and downwardly con- 75 verging toward said bottom at an about 25 to 35 degrees.

14. In combinatlon, a wide downwardly incllned chute having an open upper edge, side angle ofl walls, anda lower discharge end; a false go on, said floor. i

15. .In combination, an inclinedl downwardly pointed chute having its u pper edge dis-I ioor in said chute, andia retarding apparatus posable along the edge of a tlpped-overcar, 35

said chute having converging side walls and a lower discharge end; and a retardin appa- L ratus in said chute including a false ottom lying on the Hoor of the inclined chute and side walls disiposed against the side wallsA of the chute, sai apparatus extending from side to side and substantially from the top edge of said floor to near said lower end; and a retarding means on said floor'.

16. In combination, a wide downwardly pointed and inclined chute'havi'ng an open upper edge, converging side walls, and a lower discharge end; a false bottom'lying on the floor of the inclined chute and side walls I y disposed against the side walls of the chute, 10o

said apparatus extending from side to sidey and substantially from the top edge of said floor to near said cover plate; and a pluralityl of converging -contracting partitions secured on said false bottom all pointing toward the lower end of the inclined chute and extending from top to bottom edge of the false bottom.

17. In combination, means to tip a car on one edge; a downwardly and forwardly inclined chute having its upper edge disposed side walls aiile above the upper edge of the chute extending toward the upper edge of the car when tipped.

along said edge, said chute having) 18. In combination, a' car tipple means'115 adapted to tip the car over on one edge for emptying materialtherefrom; a widev downwardly and forwardly inclined chute hav-` ing the upper edge of its loor disposed along said edge, said chute having side walls co- 12o operating with the floor to form a lower discharge end; cover plates on the walls covering the chute from the discharge portion to the upper edgey portion; and a-baie plate on the upper edge ofthe cover` plate of the car when tipped.

19. In combination, al wide downwardly pointed and inclined chute, having an open extending substantially tothe upper edge upper edge, lconverging sidewalls, and a lower discharge Aend; a support ixcdly sccnred to said lower end and provided with an extension housing at the forward end and adjacent to the chute. with side members cooperating to i'orni a large openiug;a11 axially vertical guide box pivoted in said opening; a vertically adjust able lloating chute in said guide box having a lower discharge gate and an open side conininnii-ation with said end; pulleys disposed on said support to the front and rear ot' the chute; and flexible means disposed over the pulleys and having their lower endsconnected to the lower ends ot lsaid box and vertical chute respectively, the upper end portions` being separately 'connected to a hoisting motor carried in said extenlsion housing whereby said chute may be lowered into or gradually raised from a suitable receptacle such as a boat or the like or left in any position of a vertical adjustment or swing from side to side.

20. In combination, a wide downwardly pointed and inclined chute having an open upper edge, converging side walls, and a lower discharge end; and means at the mid part of the'chute remote from the side walls for retarding the flow of material in the chute.

21. A method comprising gradually lowering the material in a wide path open at its upper longitudinal face; laterally compressing and frictionally engaging the material to retard the iiow while maintaining the material substantially unengaged throughout the major portion of said face; and addi tionally retarding the flow near the middle axis of the path. Y

22. A chute for coal, coke and like material comprising an inclined downwardly pointed floor; converging side walls co-opcrating with the Hoor to form a narrow lower discharge end; and partitions in said chute pointing toward said endl and co-operating with each other and the side walls to form a plurality of narrow passages tapering and pointing toward said end; the steepness of lsaid floor and the distance apart of said par- `titions and walls being such that all parts of the material will flow slowly to the discharge end without intermediately banking up in the passages.

23.111 combination,l a downwardly in- .clined relatively shallow chute having downwardly converging side walls and a lower discharge end; and a retarding means `in said chute remote from the side walls thereof.

24. In combination, an inclined downwardly tapered chute having its upper edge y disposable along, and substantially as long as, the edge of a tipped-over car, said chute having downwardly converging side walls and a lower discharge end; and a retarding means in said chute remote from the side walls thereof. i

25. A chute :tor coal, coke and like matcrial comprising an inclined downwardly pointed floor; side walls downwardly con-y verging throughout and cooperating with the floor to form a narrow lower discharge end; partitions in said chute pointing toward said end and cooperating with cach other and the side walls to form a plurality ot narrow passages downwardly tapering throughout and pointing toward saidend;

the stecpness of said lioor and the relative A til) 

